National News

Successfully navigating early adolescence depends, in large part, on the availability of safe and engaging activities and supportive relationships with adults, yet many preteens have limited access to positive supports and opportunities—such as high-quality after-school programs—that could put them on a path to success. Putting It All Together focuses on six after-school program components associated with positive outcomes for preteens: 1) Focused and Intentional Strategy, 2) Exposure, 3) Supportive Relationships, 4) Family Engagement, 5) Cultural Competence, and 6) Continuous Program Improvement.

"America's Children in Brief: National Indicators of Well-Being" released

The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has released America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008. The annual report profiles the status of the nation's children and youth, presenting up-to-date federal statistics in one convenient reference. The National Center for Education Statistics in the Institute of Education Sciences is one of the 22 federal agencies that participate in the Forum and contribute to the report. The report documents that mathematics and reading scores of fourth and eighth graders have increased, but shows as well that the adolescent birth rate and the proportion of infants born at low birthweight have also risen. The report also includes indicators on child poverty, health care, housing, and at-risk behavior.